blue Origin has begun rolling out its powerful New Glenn rocket at its Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, signaling a major step forward in preparations for upcoming missions, including those targeting mars.The rollout initiates a series of complete tests before the rocket’s anticipated first launch.
The New Glenn is designed too carry heavier payloads further into space than Blue Origin’s existing New Shepard vehicle, opening opportunities for more aspiring missions. Two Blue Origin probes, named Blue and Gold and built by Rocket Lab, arrived in Florida on September 22nd, poised to launch on the New Glenn with a focus on studying the Martian atmosphere and its interaction with the solar wind and space weather. This mission is crucial for understanding the challenges of future human exploration of Mars and protecting astronauts from radiation.
The New Glenn rocket boasts a reusable first stage designed to land vertically, similar to SpaceX‘s Falcon 9. it is capable of lifting up to 99,000 pounds (45,000 kilograms) to low Earth orbit and 26,000 pounds (12,000 kilograms) to geostationary transfer orbit. Wednesday marked a busy day for Blue Origin, as the company together launched six people on a suborbital flight aboard its New Shepard vehicle from its West Texas site – the 15th human spaceflight and 36th overall launch for the system.
These tests are a critical precursor to the New Glenn’s first launch, which will pave the way for a new era of space exploration and commercial opportunities for Blue Origin. The company aims to provide reliable and cost-effective access to space for a variety of customers, including government agencies and private companies.
